Midwest Stairs will move to larger building

A Milwaukee company that makes stairs, balconies and other metal products plans to move part of its operations to a larger building on the city’s northwest side.

Midwest Stairs & Iron Inc. is buying a 50,000-square-foot building at 8220 W. Sleske Court for $1.35 million, according to a Milwaukee Economic Development Corp. report.

Midwest Stairs plans to move its aluminum fabrication operations there from a 23,800-square-foot building nearby at 8111 W. Bradley Road, said owner Howard Wurgler.

The company needs more space because of its continuing sales growth, Wurgler said Monday.

The firm is seeking a $540,000 loan from the MEDC, a nonprofit commercial lender, to help finance the building purchase. The primary lender would be Westbury Bank.

MEDC’s Loan and Finance Committee will review the request at its Tuesday meeting.

This would be the second major expansion by Midwest Stairs in recent years.

The company in January 2017 moved its main operations, including steel fabrication, to 4160 S. 13th St. from 679 S. 76th St. That also was partly financed with an MEDC loan.

Midwest Stairs has around 70 employees, with plans to add 12 to 15 more workers over the next two years, Wurgler said.

Demand for the company’s stairs, balconies and railings has increased in recent years with the general growth of the U.S. economy, Wurgler said.

The company’s products have been used in connection with such developments as Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co.’s new office tower, the Milwaukee Bucks’ future arena and the Potawatomi Hotel.